The present invention relates to a door handle device including a latch and lock mechanism for a refrigerator or the like which is locked when not used, and can be unlocked by a push rod located inside a door.
With the prior art handle device for doors shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,372,591, when a handle grip pivotally mounted on a device body is drawn and rotated, a latch interlocked with the handle grip is slid and retracted into the device body against the urging of a spring. As a result, a front end part of the latch comes away from a seat disposed on the side of a refrigerator body, and the door becomes openable.
When the door is locked, a projection of a lock cam secured to a rotor abuts on a step surface of the latch. Therefore, even when the handle grip is intended to be drawn and rotated, sliding of the latch to recede into the device body is hindered, and the door cannot be opened.
When it is intended to unreasonably open the door in the locked state, pressure is exerted from the step surface of the latch on the lock cam. Nevertheless, any member for supporting the force is not disposed on the side opposite to the side on which the lock cam is subjected to the force. Therefore, the force exerted on the lock cam acts as a bending moment and a shearing moment on the rotor and pin tumblers form a factor for causing distortion damages in them.